UPDATE: Doncaster Brexit: ‘Immigration and hard work won the vote’

Immigration and hard work by campaigners was behind the massive leave vote in Doncaster, says the Brexit team campaign co-ordinator.

Former Conservative councillor for Town Moor, Roy Penketh, believes people have been worried about the extent of immigration in the borough.

He said: “It is the culmination of a issues but immigration has been at the forefront.

“Hexthorpe must have had a bearing and the and number of Romanians who have come in there. Then it was announced that were going to be 300 asylum seekers in Balby.

“I think the main thing is that you go down to Copley Road and Hexthorpe and there has been an influx of people from Eastern Europe. People see that you go down Copley Road and don’t hear any English.

“People feel that they are losing their identity and people don’t like that

“People have got to remember this was Yorkshire and Doncaster people. We’re canny people who can see through the scaremongering.

“I’m hoping that the Government now gets its act together and starts putting the money that we give to Europe where it’s needed.

“I think the main reason for the leave vote here was the hard work the out campaign put in. This election took me back 40 years when each election had lots of troops on the ground campaigning.

“We’re delighted with the result. Everyone is over the moon.”

He said the campaigners distributed 100,000 leaflets in Doncaster, and between 200 and 300 posters for people to display in their windows.

He said he was not concerned about the plunge in the value of sterling, and expected it to recover again.

Meanwhile Former mayor and Brexit backer Peter Davies says he is proud to be a Doncastrian after residents voted two to one to leave the EU last night.

Mr Davies said he was “delighted” with the result and said the decision was a victory for common sense. He added: “I can’t tell you how proud I am to be Doncastrian, the people are first class and have made the right decision. “I’m delighted with the result after campaigning for the last 40 years to get us out of this ridiculous enterprise. “You can’t put 28 nations together with different cultures and languages and pretend it’s going to work, the whole concept was ludicrous from the start and I hope this serves as an example for the rest of Europe to disown this stupid idea and the expense that goes with it.

“A number of people have benefitted financially and been given colossus amounts of money yet we don’t even know who many of these people are.

“I’m not surprised people have voted the way they have, the whole European ideal was at the expense of poorer people, people in Doncaster are clearly not stupid and have voted to come out, this gives the power back to the people, it’s a victory for ordinary people and a victory for common sense.”

Speaking about David Cameron’s decision to stand down in October following the result Mr Davies added: “Good riddance, he’s the worst politician in living memory, and there’s a number of candidates for that honour.

“He is a shocking character who tried to bully people to vote to stay in the EU and fortunately people have seen through that.”

Nigel Berry, acting chair of the local branch of UKIP said: “It’s a brilliant result, I’m pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

“The working class people have suffered the most from the EU deal and have taken a stand.

“The turnout in Doncaster was brilliant, I was there at the count and it did surprise me how many staunch Labour areas voted out, it shows Labour has lost touch with voters.”